Chapter 76: Tiger and Wolf Army

Qin Mu unfolded the "handkerchief," examined the texture of the silk ribbon, and said, "I always thought you smelled familiar and fragrant. It turns out we use the same type of fabric."

Upon seeing the "handkerchief," Ling Yuxiu's face immediately flushed. She quickly snatched it from his hand, both embarrassed and angry. "This is mine! How did you get it? And you're using it as a handkerchief! I'm not talking to you anymore!"

The girl, fuming, stomped over and squatted on the dragon's head, resting her chin in her hands and gazing into the distance.

Qin Mu was taken aback. "This is your handkerchief?"

"It's not a handkerchief!"

Ling Yuxiu retorted angrily, "It's... it's mine! I'm not talking to you!"

"If it's not a handkerchief, what is it?"

The young man was puzzled. "Crippled Grandpa gave it to me, saying it was for wiping sweat. I saw it was good quality, so I carried it. If it's yours, I'll just give it back. Why are you getting so angry?"

Ling Yuxiu threw the bra-top down, fuming, "Even if you give it back, I don't want it!"

Qin Mu's vital qi shot out, rolling up the bra-top. He chuckled, "If you throw it down, someone else might pick it up and use it to wipe sweat. You might as well give it to me; I sweat a lot when I practice martial arts."

Ling Yuxiu snapped angrily, "Give it back to me!"

The young man was even more perplexed. "I give it back, and you'll just throw it again. What's the point? You might as well let me use it to wipe sweat..."

Ling Yuxiu quickly snatched it back. After a moment's thought, she pulled out a handkerchief and stuffed it into his hand. "That's a girl's item! Aren't you ashamed to use it, a big strong man? Here's a fragrant handkerchief for you; it's also made of Sky Fragrance Silk, and I even embroidered a design on it myself. You can use this to wipe your sweat."

Qin Mu took the fragrant handkerchief. He saw a crooked pig's head embroidered on it and chuckled, "That's really ugly embroidery."

Ling Yuxiu, both angry and flustered, reached out to snatch it back. "If you don't want it, give it back to me!"

Qin Mu quickly put it away, walked over, and sat beside her. "You took my handkerchief, so it's only fair that you give me one back. Mine was bigger, and the one you gave me is smaller, so technically, I'm still at a loss."

The sun was already high in the sky, and the early spring sunlight carried a sweet warmth. The young man felt incredibly comfortable. He lay back, gazing at the white clouds drifting leisurely by.

Ling Yuxiu blinked. "Do you think that chubby Young Master Fatty Seven is handsome?"

Qin Mu thought for a moment. "He's not bad-looking, but he's too effeminate, more like a woman than a man."

Ling Yuxiu couldn't help but chuckle. She idly brushed her beautiful hair from her chest and asked with a grin, "So, do you think I'm pretty?"

Qin Mu looked at her seriously. "Even though your face is a little round, you're not bad-looking."

Ling Yuxiu was quite satisfied. Curiously, she asked, "You killed Fu Yundi's son, so why did you come back instead of fleeing the city?"

"I came back for something important."

Qin Mu closed his eyes and said calmly, "The Yan Kang Empire's army will arrive here soon. I came back to resist their invasion."

Ling Yuxiu's heart trembled slightly, and her expression grew serious. She slowly said, "Do you know you're trying to crack a rock with an egg? Besides, what's so bad about being ruled by the Yan Kang Empire? Its people live in peace and prosperity, and all sects and factions obey the imperial rule. Everything is well-ordered, there's no war within its borders, only minor disputes. How does any of that compare to the Great Ruins? What a chaotic place the Great Ruins is! People struggle to survive, fighting and killing every day, never knowing where their next meal will come from, finding it hard even to make a living. When I arrived in the Great Ruins, I saw countless families selling their children, which shows how miserable their situation is. The Yan Kang Empire's army is a righteous force; you should give up resistance and actively welcome the Yan Kang Royal Army."

Qin Mu opened his eyes, his gaze deep. "People in the Great Ruins don't want to live here either. However, I've heard that they are called the 'God-abandoned people.' If they cross the border and leave the Great Ruins, they'll be captured by the Yan Kang Empire's border guards. Some are executed directly, while others are sold as slaves to work in mines, dying within a few years."

He sat up, fingers clasped in front of his knees, and said calmly, "They also want to live better lives, but going to Yan Kang would mean dying even faster. It's better to stay in the Great Ruins; here, they can at least barely survive. If the Yan Kang Empire's army occupies the Great Ruins, how will they treat us, the God-abandoned people? Will they kill us or enslave us?"

"Sister Yuxiu, the Yan Kang Emperor and the Yan Kang Imperial Tutor aren't interested in the people here, but in this land—the God-Abandoned Land. The abandoned people live in the God-Abandoned Land; even though darkness invades every night, and they face all sorts of dangers every time they go hunting, they can still survive, and their children can still survive. But if the Yan Kang Empire rules here, then there won't even be a place to survive."

Ling Yuxiu was stunned. She had never considered this. She had only thought that the Yan Kang Empire represented justice, without considering what fate awaited the people here.

She couldn't help but say, "Do you know? If you confront the Yan Kang army, you're on a path to certain death; you won't survive!"

Qin Mu flashed a brilliant smile, brimming with confidence. He looked up toward the east. "No! The Yan Kang Emperor and Imperial Tutor will hit a hard rock here, they'll hit a wall and be utterly defeated! They have no idea what they are about to encounter on this mysterious land! The undefeated myth of Yan Kang ends here!"

Ling Yuxiu stood up, exasperated. "You're incorrigible! You're definitely going to die in this city, what's the point?"

Qin Mu stood up and looked directly into her eyes. "For the abandoned people, going to the Yan Kang Empire is a dead end. If the Yan Kang Empire wants to invade here and make this its territory, the abandoned people will surely die. Since not resisting means death, but resistance offers a glimmer of hope, why shouldn't the abandoned people resist?"

Ling Yuxiu was flustered by his gaze. She stepped down from the dragon's head, stood on the platform, turned to look at him, and gritted her teeth. "I am a citizen of the Yan Kang Empire, and my purpose in coming here this time is to occupy the Great Ruins and make it Yan Kang territory."

Qin Mu nodded.

Ling Yuxiu said, "I cannot betray Yan Kang. Anyone who opposes the Yan Kang Empire will be my enemy!"

Qin Mu nodded again. "I am one of the abandoned people, and I cannot betray the Great Ruins."

Ling Yuxiu turned and walked towards the steps by the stone platform. Her figure disappeared, but her voice echoed from within the stone pillar, "If I meet you on the battlefield, I won't show any mercy!"

Qin Mu looked into the distance, where dust clouds were beginning to rise, moving towards them like a mist covering over a hundred li. He whispered, "Me too."

Within the mist, thousands of massive beasts paved the way. These behemoths were as robust as mountains, with long tusks and bone armor covering their bodies. They carried heavy loads yet moved surprisingly quickly, their bone plates clashing and rattling as they walked.

Following the colossal beasts was an endless army, exuding an aura of grim determination. Banners and flags fluttered as war chariots rolled through the center of the army, and in the sky, numerous layered battleships sailed.

The layered battleships were also packed with soldiers. At the core of each battleship, a dozen or so alchemists were busily refining elixirs, while apprentices continuously fed the finished pills and wondrous medicines into a massive furnace at the heart of the ship.

As these elixirs were fed into the massive furnaces, they instantly transformed into violent magical power. This power surged from the furnaces into the two bellows-beast sculptures at the stern of each battleship. The bellows-beast sculptures then blasted furious streams of air from their mouths, propelling the battleships into the sky and forward.

The Yan Kang Empire's army was advancing from the border. And this was merely the vanguard; even more powerful forces were gathering at the border behind them!

There, the Imperial Tutor's banner fluttered.

Qin Mu watched the approaching Yan Kang Empire's army, his heart sinking. Every soldier in that army was a seasoned martial artist, hardened by countless battles and conflicts—a true army of tigers and wolves!

Facing such a formidable army, Dragon-Inlaid City, which seemed incredibly solid, felt no more than a tiny projectile, easily breached!

"Yan Kang Empire..." Qin Mu whispered, suppressing the tremor in his heart.

The Village Chief once said that the Yan Kang Empire was a sect disguised as a nation. In Qin Mu's view, a nation truly possessed more power, cohesion, integrative strength, and explosive force than a mere sect!

When a sect transforms into a nation with a strict organizational structure, a complete official system, and private schools for nurturing the next generation, how incredibly powerful would that be?

Becoming a nation is truly the ultimate direction for a sect's development!

Inside the City Lord's Mansion, Granny Si, wearing Fu Yundi's skin, stood with her hands clasped behind her back. Eight Celestial Deities manifested behind her, fully embodying the heroic and domineering presence of Fu Yundi, the Lord of Dragon-Inlaid City. She thought, "Yan Kang Imperial Tutor, you've finally arrived..."

Meanwhile, in front of the gambling house, the Blind Man stood leaning on his staff, listening intently to the approaching sounds of the marching army.

At the entrance to the marketplace, a butcher, who only had an upper body, was sharpening his knife with a hiss. In the bookstore's courtyard on the next street, the Deaf Man, with his iron ears, was painting with energetic strokes. His brush was over ten feet long, and he painted like a madman. Suddenly, he raised his brush, and the completed thundercloud painting, several tens of feet in size, soared into the sky.

The painting ascended into the sky, gradually fading from view. In an instant, thunderclouds gathered densely, and countless bolts of lightning and thunder crackled and struck down from above.